Maximum Ride: Nothing is Normal
by tmakalah
Summary: This fanfiction is set after Angel and before Nevermore. What happens when the world is safe and Max and the Flock try to lead normal lives? With normal teenage drama? Like Max choosing between Fang and Dylan? But maybe the world wasn't as safe as they thought it would be... The ride isn't over so hang on to your hats and climb aboard with Maximum Ride: Nothing is Normal.
1. Chapter 1

**Summary: This fanfiction is set after Maximum Ride: Angel and before Nevermore: The End of Maximum Ride. What happens when the world is safe and Max and the Flock try to lead normal lives? With normal teenage drama? Like Max choosing between Fang and Dylan? But maybe the world wasn't as safe as they thought it would be... The ride isn't over so hang on to your hats and climb aboard with: Maximum Ride: Nothing is Normal.**

1

I wake up to the sounds of the Flock arguing. _What is it this time?_

Okay, so, recap. Angel escaped from the school on her own, and we found her at that place where we flew with the hawks. Maya decided she wanted to be famous and Fang was not okay with that. He really missed me apparently and Maya's change of heart put him over the edge. He came back, said he loved me, blah, blah, blah, so he's with us again. The guy who was supposedly going to end the world died from a freak occurence and so everything was peachy. When we heard the news, Dr. Martinez, my _mom_(it felt so good to say that), invited us to come live with her. We built a second house that was next to hers with six rooms. One for me, Nudge and Angel share, Gazzy, Dylan, and Fang and Iggy share. Total and Akila share the last one. I hear a soft tap on my door.

"Permission to open the door?" Fang asks.

"Permission granted," I mumble, shoving my face back into my pillow. He walks in all stealth-like. "What is it?"

"Breakfast." Dang him and his short, one-word answers.

"Okay, I'll be down in a minute." Our house is two stories, with my room, Fang and Iggy's room, and Dylan's room on the top floor.

I throw on some clothes, whip a brush through my ratty hair, and walk downstairs. Angel and Nudge are yelling at Gazzy, who apparently ate all the bacon, while Iggy is trying to cook more. Fang is silently stuffing his face at the table, and Dylan is staring at me from the couch. His eyes flick up and down my body.

I point to my eyes and say, "My eyes are up here, Dylan." His cheeks turn red and he looks away.

"I know," he mumbles under his breath.

I walk over to where all the yelling is going on. I give them my Max glare and they quiet down. I grab a plate and throw some eggs and toast on it, grab a big glass of juice, and sit next to Fang.

"Good-morning," I say sarcasticly, an obviously forced smile on my face. He smiles, his version of laughing.

"Max," Nudge whines, "You look like a mess. I want to do your hair, and while I'm doing your hair, I could go ahead and do your make-up and pick out your clothes and-" I put my hand over her mouth. Sometimes she just needs to shut-up.

_I agree._ Angel's thought enters my mind. I look over at her and smile. _You should try rooming with her, _she continues. I roll my eyes at her and we smile again.

"I think you look good, Max," Dylan says creating an awkward silence and my face turns red.

"Uh, thanks," I mutter. Since Fang returned, I told them both I would need time to think and that neither of them would be getting "the Max lovin'" as Iggy put it, for a good while.

Iggy and Gazzy start making kissy noises. I shoot them a glare that Iggy can't see. Gazzy stops, which makes Iggy stop, but they continue trying to hold back snickers. I look over at Fang. He's looking down at his empty plate, with a look of disgust playing over his face.

He looks up and our eyes meet. His big black eyes look like beautiful bottomless pits full of hidden emotion. We both look away quickly. My gaze makes it's way to Dylan's face, which is very red, telling us he's embarrassed. _Good. He should be._

Our eyes meet too, but he holds the gaze. I want to look away from those sea-blue eyes that bore into me, making me think he can read my mind, but I can't.

"So what's going on," Iggy asks.

"Nothing," I say, breaking our stare-off, "Just breakfast as usual."

"Hey guys," Ella says, walking through the front door.

"Hey." Iggy smiles. She walks over to him and gives him a hug.

"Morning, Iggy," she says and they both grin wide, breaking the awkwardness in the room.

"Max, Dylan wants to talk to you in his room, _alone_." Angel says, bringing the awkwardness back.

**Okay, so, that was chapter one. If you read it, please review, because I want to know what you think of it. Even if you hate it. So, yeah, if you liked it and want me to continue, review, review, review!**


	2. Chapter 2

"Okay," I mumble, standing up. His face turns red again, and he gives Angel an annoyed look. She smiles sheepishly.

"So, uh, what did you want, exactly?" I ask, as he closes the door. I sit down softly on his bed. He sits next to me.

"Hello? Earth to Dyl-" Suddenly he's on top of me, kissing me passionately. For the first few seconds, I let him, too shocked to move. Then I tense up and push him off of me. His blonde hair is slightly ruffled, giving him a really cute just-got-out-of-bed look. I push the thought away and stare at him in shock.

"Sorry." He looks at the floor.

"Sorry? Sorry! Is that all you have to say? You crazy, freaking-"

Dylan and Max walk up to his room, Fang clearly annoyed. Fang waits to hear the door shut then silently slips up the stairs to his and Iggy's room. He knows he shouldn't, but he can't help putting his ear to the wall.

"So, uh, what did you want, exactly?" he hears Max ask, as if she's embarrassed. Fang can't tell if Dylan answered or not.

Apparently not because: "Hello? Earth to Dyl-" he hears Max start to say but she's cut off. He doesn't hear any talking, and he starts to panic, wondering what stopped her, mid-sentence.

He listens closer and thinks he hears kissing noises. No, that's not right, he's just hearing things. Max wouldn't do that. Would she?

He hears the bed moving and the distinct sound of kissing. Fang feels like he might throw up. Why would she be kissing Dylan? That can't be right...

"Sorry," he hears Dylan say.

"Sorry? Sorry!" Max gets really loud and Fang is sure everyone in the house can hear her, "Is that all you have to say? You crazy, freaking...I don't know! Ugh! What the hell is your problem?! You can't just bring me into your room and start freaking kissing me! I can't believe you!" She continues this for several minutes. Fang knows everyone can hear her.

I yell at Dylan for a while. He looks so ashamed that I almost feel sorry for him. Almost. I run out of the room and cover my eyes that threaten to shed tears. I run to my room and slam the door. _How could he do this? Doesn't he know it makes it so hard on me?_ I cry silently into my pillow, the only noises are me sniffing every five seconds.

Then something even worse happens. Fang walks in. I can tell he can see my tears. He stands awkwardly by the door, looking at me with concern. _God, this is so embarrassing._

"You okay?" he asks after a few minutes. I sniffle loudly. Great.

"Uh, yeah." He can tell I'm lying. He walks over to me and sits quietly next to me on the bed. He puts his hand on my shoulder and looks at me lovingly. I stare back but then break the gaze. He uses his pointer finger and starts tracing circles on my back.

It feels so good, I spread out my wings so he can reach better. He scratches the spot between my wings that I love and I can't help but smiling like an idiot. His other hand is just resting on his leg.

I reach out, hesitate when he flinches, then start to run my fingers up and down his arm. He shivers at my touch, but I can tell he enjoys it. We do this for a while.


	3. Chapter 3

My eyes flick open and I realize I've been asleep. I move my head slightly and realize I'm not alone. Fang's head rests on top of mine and we are in my bed with the covers over us.

_We must have fallen asleep when we were- what exactly? What were we doing? Oh well...it felt good._

I wouldn't do this if Fang were awake, but since he's sleeping(cutely) I pretend to still be asleep and snuggle up to his warm body. That's when I realize he isn't the only person in the room with me.

I look over and Dylan is standing in the door way. In his eyes I can see hurt, sadness, and anger. Then I realize what it looks like we had been doing.

I sit up. "No, Dylan-" He storms out of the room. "Its not what it looks like!" I yell from my position on the bed still all snugly with Fang.

"Wha..?" Fang mumbles and his eyes flutter open. He notices our closeness and before he can hide it, a smile spread across his face. Then he blushes and looks away.

I get up and run to the door way. "Dylan! Please!" I yell down the hall. I run into his room. His window is open, and he is gone. I put my hand to my forehead.

"Oh god oh god oh god," I mutter to myself, pacing the floor.

"What?" Fang asks.

"Dylan. He's...gone."

"Why?"

"He..um," I begin, not sure how to put this, "he thought that...well he saw us and..." I trail off, not sure how to finish the sentence. Fang's eyes widen a little bit as he realizes what I mean. What is it that crosses over is face? Pleasure? Amusement?

"Fang!"

"What?"

"Don't be a sicko!" I yell at him.

"What do you mean?" he asks, faking innocence.

"You know what," I say, walking into the living room. Everyone is in here watching a movie and talking and laughing.

"Uh, guys," I say, getting their attention. Angel's eyes widen, reading my thoughts.

"Ew!" she exclaims. "Why would he think something gross like that?"

My face turns red and so does Fang's.

"Think what? What's going on?" Gazzy asks.

"Dylan thought that Fang and Max..."

_Is it hot in here or is it just me?_

My face gets even more red.

"He thought you guys did the nasties?!" Iggy yells. Loud.

_This can't be happening... _

That comment is followed by everyone talking at once about it. Gazzy and Iggy think its hilarious. Ella is holding back a laugh and trying to calm down Iggy. Nudge is yelling something about marriage. Total is also laughing and telling Akila what happened in their dog language.

"Fang wants to." Angel's words stop everyone. My eyes flick to Fang's panicked face.


	4. Chapter 4

I figure she's just joking. But from Fang's reaction I can tell she isn't. He looks at me like I think he's a monster, runs over to the sliding glass door that leads to our patio, snaps open his black wings with their purple tint, and takes off.

_Oh my god. He wants to...oh my god._

Everyone's looking at me, waiting to see what I'll do next. My mouth is half-open like I'm about to say something. I try to reassure them but my mouth won't work.

"I...I..uh..." I say, then run out the front door and do what Fang did.

I fly at my super-sonic speed towards the hawk-cliff-cave-thing. I leave my wings untucked and run inside to the farthest wall, that isn't very far. I collapse on the ground and hug my knees close to my chest.

_What am I supposed to do? Maybe...maybe it's just like a boy thing. Maybe all boys think like that. Yeah, boys are just gross and stuff so they think like that all the time. It wasn't like he actually wanted to, right?_

I see water dripping onto the cave floor and realize I've been crying. I hear the noise of someone landing and I look up expecting to see one of the Flock members who came looking for me. But it's not them.

He looks up and notices me. I startle him at first. He was probably expecting alone time here too. We both just stare at each other.

"Hey..." he says.

"Dylan, listen. Nothing happened between me and Fang-"

"Don't lie. I know you picked him. You don't have to rub it in my face with what you guys...did," he says.

"That's what I'm trying to say! We didn't _do_ anything." He gives me a look that says he doesn't believe me. "We were just..." I didn't know how to explain what we were doing.

He raises his eyebrow, interested. "He was comforting me...I can't really explain how..." Dylan looks at me like he still thinks we were doing something gross. "Like this," I say and lean over to him. I start to make the circles on his back. I could tell he liked it, but he was pretending not to.

"So how did you guys end up in bed together?"

"I don't know. It was relaxing. I was doing it back to him and I guess we fell asleep," I say, looking up to see his eyes. He looks like he believes me but is still mad about it. He looks down into my eyes and we stare for a while, while I make circles on his back.

He starts to lean in, to kiss me, and I feel like I want him to. I don't move. I just let him. It's nothing like when we were in his room. It's just a short, small, soft, sweet kiss. I stay frozen when he moves his head back.

That's when I see movement out of the corner of my eye. I act like nothing's wrong though. Dylan looks deeply into my eyes.

"Is he a better kisser than me?" he asks, catching me off guard. I wasn't expecting a question like that. He notices my quizzical look.

"Fang. Is he?"

I smile. I talk slightly louder than normal. "Fang is a horrible kisser. He disgusts me. There's so much wrong with him. He does such annoying things," I start. Dylan looks surprised. "The most annoying thing about him is how he," my voice gets louder for the last word, "eavesdrops!" I yell and turn around.

Sure enough, there's Fang, in the shadows. Dylan's jaw drops. He actually looks kind of scared because well, Fang is stronger.

"I didn't know you guys would be making out. Sorry to interrupt you," Fang says.

Ouch. That hurt.

I narrow my eyes at him. "You know we weren't making out. We were talking. And why are you mad?" I ask. Dylan steps in front of me protectively.

"Okay Prince Charming, you can stop now. Max and I can talk without you butting in," Fang says to Dylan.

"I'm just trying to look out for her."

"No, you're trying to win her over."

"Maybe, but that's not much different from what you're doing," Dylan spits coldly.

"You don't know what I'm doing! Don't act like you know me!" This was the most emotion I'd ever seen Fang use.

"Do I get a say in this?" I ask, stopping their arguing. Fang's eyes get even darker than I thought possible.

He grabs my shoulders and gets very close to me. His hands move from my shoulders to cup my face. Right when I think he's about to kiss me, right here in front of Dylan, and make things worse, he looks me right in the eyes. He stares so deeply. He talks with urgency, like he needs me to know this, right now.

"Max, I love you. God, Max, I love you so much."


	5. Chapter 5

I'm in shock. I knew he loved me, but he had never told me out loud. Never. I don't know what to say. Especially with Dylan right here.

"I..."

"It's okay Max. You don't have to say it back," he says, still looking deeply into my eyes, "I just wanted you to know that before you chose. Know that I respect whatever decision you make, but no matter what I will love you to the ends of the earth."  
I've never heard Fang talk like this. And to think that he would in front of Dylan. I must have really put him over the edge to make him do something like this.

"Fang I-"

"It's okay. I understand."

"No you don't understand. I-"

"Max, its okay."

"Fang I love you too!" I blurt out. In front of Dylan. Fang's face softens. And that's when he does it. He kisses me. Very passionately.

In front of Dylan.

After it, he can't stop smiling, which is very un-Fang-like. I smile too. Then I look over at Dylan. Okay so imagine this: You have this really big cookie and you starve a little kid. You tell them they can have the cookie. You even reach out your hand to give them the cookie. When they reach for it, you throw the cookie on the ground and step on it until its just crumbs. Then you flush the crumbs down the toilet. Then you slap the kid in the face and curse them out. And then you kill their puppy and cut off their pinky.

That's what Dylan's face looks like.

"Dylan-" I reach out and grab his arm. He yanks free.

"I love you Max!" he yells in my face, then jumps off the cliff and flies away. Fang touches my arm. I look at him.

We fly back in silence.

Not only is this whole thing a huge mess and very awkward, but Dylan is my responsibility. I have to look out for him. He is only two years old. And now I've scared him away.

_It's okay, Max. Everything will get better eventually._

What?!

Oh no! Not the Voice again!

_I thought I got rid of you!_ I scream inside my head.

_Oh, no, Maximum. I never left. I just got preoccupied._

_With what? Aren't you just part of my subconscious?_

_No, I'm not. I am my own person who just so happens to give you advice._ I still can't figure out whose voice it is. I can't even tell if it's a boy or girl.

What piece of advice are you here to give me now?

_Remember Maximum. Remember what Jeb taught you. Never trust anyone. Not even those closest to you._ What is that supposed to mean? That I can't trust the flock? Sorry, Voice, but their all I have, and the only thing I love.

_Considering you're part of my head, I'd say you're closest to me. Are you Jeb?_

_No._ Phew. That's a relief.

_Are you someone I know?_

_Yes._ How nerve-racking is this?

_Who?_  
_In time, Maximum, in time._

_Oh come on?_ I ask. But I get no reply.

_Real mature, Voice, real mature._

"Max, are you okay?"

I look over at Fang, with pure compassion in his eyes.

_Why is he so easy to read all of a sudden?_

Suddenly, I get a queasy feeling in my stomach.

"Fang?"

"Yeah?"

"When we were little, whose favorite color was navy blue 'because it was fancy'?"

"Why would you ask a silly question like that?"

"Just answer it for me, okay?"

He looks nervous and I think I see a bit of sweating going on.

"Nudge, of course," he answers with fake confidence.

Without even considering his answer, without thinking at all, I spin around in the air, get in front of him, and deliver an unexpected round-house kick to his face.

His jaw jerks upwards in an unhealthy manner and I manuvuer my wings and go barreling into his chest.

He had no warning to this behaviour at all so I caught him completely off guard.

I use my super speed flying skills to push him downward until we almost hit the ground. I stop abruptely and grab him by the collar of his shirt. I then proceed to slam him, very hard, I might add, into the dirt floor.

"Who are you and where is Fang?" I whisper very menacingly into his bloodied face.

"What are you talking about? I'm Fang!" he yells with a lot of emotion.

"Yeah, right. Tell me where he is! Now!"

"Max! What are you doing!" Nudge yells from behind me.


	6. Chapter 6

It takes all four of them, but Iggy, Nudge, Gazzy, and Angel all remove me from beating the crap out of this impostor.

They drag me home with Fake-Fang following close behind. They give us both questioning looks.

Once we get into the living room, I lunge at Phony again. Someone holds a damp rag to my face and I pass out in seconds.

I wake up in my bedroom with Angel sitting beside me, just watching me.

"What are you doing?" I ask, then remember the events that occurred before I passed out.

"Where's Fang? Or whatever his name is. He's not safe!"

"I know, Max."

"You know?"

"I can read minds," she taps on the side of her head, "Remember?"

Oh, right.

"How long have you known?" I ask curiously.

"Well, when I told you he wanted to..you know..he wasn't the real Fang," she says.

This knowledge infuriates me.

"What? Why didn't you say anything then?!"

"I didn't know then. Max, this guy was programmed to not only look and act like Fang, but to think like him too. I didn't even realize it wasn't him. Whatever the school is up to, they have some very serious new technology."

I'm confused and scared. I thought that the school was gone. I thought it was over. I thought that we could just live somewhat normal lives. Guess I need a reality check. I know that deep down, I knew it would never end. They won't give up until they have us. And apparently giving us a clone was their next move.

"So where is Fang now?" I ask, realizing that the big picture was not that the school was after us still, but that they probably had Fang.

"No clue. They made sure that the clone didn't know so he couldn't tell us," Angel said.

"Which means he's..."

"At the school," Angel spoke aloud the words I couldn't bare to say.

"Right. So I guess we have to go and get him back."

"I guess we do."


	7. Chapter 7

"Never thought we'd need these again," I say to myself, as I pull out the survival packs I'd bought during our last adventure. Each one had our names sewn into them- handy work done by Nudge.

They each held a sleeping bag, first-aid kit, canteen filled with water, matches, several cans of food, and some MRE's. Basic living essentials when you're outdoors.

"Oh no. MRE's. I'm gonna be sick," Total says, then proceeds to pretend to pass out. I roll my eyes.

"What did you guys do with the fake?" I ask Gazzy and Iggy.

They giggle evily and I leave it alone.

"Do we have to go to the School?" whines Total.

"Would you rather look for him in the Institute?" I ask, arching my brow.

"Ouch, burn. You sure got me," he says sarcastically. "What I'm wanting to know," he continues, "is what are we gonna do with my dear, sweet Akila?"

That never occurred to me. How are we suppossed to drag around a 40-pound Alaskan Malamute?

"I guess you'll just have to sit this one out," I reply.

"Oh, no. You're not getting rid of me this time. I'm coming."

"Then I guess Akila can stay here all by herself with no one to keep her company."

"Nonsense. Ella and your mom are here and she has Magnolia to keep her company."

_Magnolia?_ Ah, yes, Ella's miniature...something. Dog, of some sort.

"Fine, you can go. On one condition."

"Hit me," he says with confidence.

"No complaining," I say with an equal amount.

"Ah, what? That's not fa-," he cuts himself off, "I see what you did there. You're a clever one, Maximum Ride." I stick my tongue out at him and then we both smile. Well, he smiles as much as possible for a dog to smile.

I can't wait to get out there and stretch my wings. They are pretty sore after the fight with 'Fang'.

"Okay guys! Were leaving!" I yell throughout the house as I walk out the door.

"Here you go, Max," Nudge says and hands me my pack. I throw it over my shoulder.

"Where are Iggy and Gaz?" I ask when I notice their gone.

BOOM!

I start to rub my temples.

I watch as the storage shed to the right of our house goes down in flames. Then I watch as two winged-bodies fly away from the damage.

"Okay guys...why?" I ask when they land near me.

"We were makin' some bombs for the road," Gazzy starts.

"And it got a little...out of hand," finishes Iggy.

"But did you see that! That was amazing! It was there for two seconds and then BOOM! It was outta there!" Gazzy yells, getting excited.

"Save that kind of energy for the flight." I say while pointing at him. He looks down at his feet.

Okay, time to be leader-Max.

"Okay guys. Everybody listen. During this, we have to remember what the mission is. We are trying to save Fang and we can't get off track, okay?"

Everyone nods in agreement. Ella and my mom come over.

"Bye, guys. I hope you get Fang back all safe. I'm gonna miss you until you get back. Don't worry, Total, Akila is in good hands," Ella says. Akila barks to reassure him and he licks her face.

Ella walks over to Iggy. Before she can say anything, he envelopes her in his arms. She sniffles a little bit. She looks up at him and he kisses her on the cheek.

"We'll be back before you know it. You'll wish we were gone longer," he says, smiling at her. She smiles a sad smile up at him and hugs him one more time.

"Guys, I know you will do good. You'll get him, I'm sure," Dr. Martinez says. She hugs each one of us, including Total, and when she gets to me, she grabs my shoulders and just looks at me.

"Max, this is a necklace my mother gave me. I want you to have it," she says, holding up a necklace.

This would be an honor except that Ella, her other daughter, was standing right there. Why didn't she get it? She lived with her, her whole life, didn't she? They notice my confused look.

"I was offered it, Max. But I thought you needed it more than I did," says Ella.

My mom put the necklace around my neck and fastened it.

"There. You look beautiful." I blush and turn away.

"Thanks," I say. She just smiles at me. I hug her really tight.

"We'll be here, waiting for you to get back."

We all say our goodbyes(most of which are Total bawling into Akila's fur), and then get ready to take off. I take a running start and fling myself into the air. Pushing hard, I gently rise. Everyone else is in the air and I take one last look behind me and wave at my mom.


	8. Chapter 8

**I'd like to just take a moment to say thank you to everyone who's reading this. I really am grateful. And I'd like to say that this story is dedicated to my best friend who loves these books as much as I do. And I like to thank James Patterson for all the great books he writes, especially these ones. So thanks to everyone! Love you Evie! (p.s. Sorry that this chapter is so short)**

The air breezes through my wings as I soar and swoop and dive and soar again. Everyone is having a great time.

"Okay now, lets go. Everyone ready for a steady pace?" I yell over the wind. I see everyone somewhat nod.

_Were coming Fang. We'll be there soon. Just hold on._

We fly for a while, just enjoying the rush of being so high up. When it wears off, its really calming. It reminds me of the calm expression that seems to be on Fang's face, even in the most dangerous situations. I miss that look. I miss the little half-smile he did. The one he did whenever we were together. I miss the way his bangs flopped perfectly into his face, to hide his eyes. Oh, his eyes. They were so dark and wonderful. They filled anyone with emotion when you looked into them. I could get lost in those eyes forever.

"Max!" Angel's ear-piercing scream bursts through my mind. My eyes snap open. I'm falling.

_Did I really just fall asleep while flying?_

_Only you could do that, Max._

_Voice, I don't need your input right now._

The Voice is silent.

I snap open my wings-hard and fast.

"Ah!" I cry out as one of my wings make a snap noise near the hinge where it attached.

_This is it. This is where my story ends._

I fall through the clouds so fast. Dropping like a stone. A huge stone that's going faster than a normal stone. I close my eyes and wait for the worst.

_Maximum, hold your breathe._

Without questioning it, I take a huge gulp of air and squeeze my eyes tighter.

Then I plunge deep into a lake.


	9. Chapter 9

"Max?"

I hear the faint sound of wheezing. It's me.

"Max, what happened?" Angel asks.

I sit up. I'm soaking wet and have five pairs of Flock eyes on me.

"I..I...fell asleep."

Nudge opens her mouth to say something, but is interrupted by Gazzy and Iggy's burst of laughter.

"You...you fell asleep? While _flying_?" Iggy says, trying to catch his breath.

"Max, if you were tired, we could have stopped for a little while, and maybe got some food or something, and found a place, probably in a park in some trees, or a hotel room or something and rested. Not for that long or anything cause we still have to find Fang but long enough so you wouldn't, you know, fall asleep or anything," Nudge says.

"I wasn't tired." I know how insane I sound, but I don't know how to explain. Their confused faces encourages me to continue. "I was just thinking. I got lost in my thoughts."

"What were you thinking about?" the Gasman asks.

_How much I love Fang. How much I miss him._

Angel giggles.

"Quit reading my mind!" I yell at her.

She quiets a little bit.

A blush plays over my face.

"It doesn't matter. Let's just keep going. We haven't been flying that long," I say. "We have to stay on track." I jump into the air and stretch my wings out.

_Ouch!_

Pain shoots through my wing and spreads all over. I fall to the ground and lay there for a second. But only a second. I'm the leader. I have to be strong for my Flock.

"You can't fly like that," Angel states. "We'll have to stop until it heals."

"No. We can't. Were not even half-way there yet. Just because we don't fly, doesn't mean we can't keep traveling. Lets go find a bus station," I say.

"Uh..Max," Gazzy says, pointing behind me.

Nudge screams. I turn around and see several...Erasers?

_Max, what are those things? I can't read their minds. Their not regular Erasers._

_I don't know, Angel. Their not Fly-Boys either._

_Max, I'm scared._

Me too, Angel. Me too.


	10. Chapter 10

My first reaction is to check and make sure Fang has my back. Bummer.

The Erasers came fully equipped with new powers. For one, their wings that used to slow them down are no longer grafted onto them like before. They're swifter, keener, and have learned some new moves. They can kick butt almost as good as us. Almost.

Everyone flings themselves into the air. Everyone but me, that is. The first one lunges at me with great force, knocking me down. I land on my wing. Of course.

I try to get a good kick in, but it grabs my foot and twists it. I recoil it in pain. I'm reduced to just my hands now. I throw a punch and catch it in the jaw. It stumbles, but quickly regains its balance. I back away from it. It jumps, and is about to land on me, when another Eraser meets it half-way. They claw at each other.

I take this moment to look around. Gazzy just got done clapping his hands over an Eraser's ears. It falls to the ground and whimpers in pain. Nudge is getting clawed in the face but is holding it off well enough. Iggy is way high up, strapping a bomb to one. It blows up. Angel is staring at one, controlling its mind, I guess.

I look back at the fight between the two Erasers. The bigger one who saved me is winning. He has it pinned down on the ground and has completely ripped its face apart.

Another one lunges at me, but I'm too quick for it, and step out of the way. Then, with my good foot, I kick it in the back of the head and it falls down.

The good Eraser strikes at one who's about to attack me. He finishes it off and then takes a second to look at me.

"Ari?" I ask.

"I thought maybe you wouldn't recognize me. Yeah, I'm back," he says.

"But..you died...twice. How?"

"Do you even need to ask?"

At the same time we both say, "Jeb."


	11. Chapter 11

"Hey, sorry to interrupt your little reunion but we could use some help," yells Iggy from the sky. Ari leaps into the air, unfurls his big awkward wings, and throws the Eraser to the ground. Angel finishes one off with a good kick to the stomach, and Nudge breaks one's arm and leaves it whimpering Ah, their growing up.

"How did you find us?" I ask Ari, once we've built a fire in a small clearing in the woods.

"I was following the Erasers, cause I knew they'd lead me to you guys," he replies.

"So why are you alive, again?" the Gasman asks.

"Jeb...dug me out of the ground. Then he sent voltages through me. It started my heart again and he nursed me back to...life," he explains.

"What was it like being dead? Like, what did you see? Was there heaven or hell? Or something completely different? Was it just an empty void? What was it like when you woke up?" Nudge asks.

"You know that feeling when you wake up, and you have that sense of emotion of what the dream was about, but you can't remember what happened?" He waits for us to nod and then continues. "It was like that. As for waking up, it was like waking from a nightmare and realizing your chest burnt like hell," he says.

"I'm gonna hit the hay," Iggy says, standing up.

"Yeah me too," Nudge yawns. "Good night everyone!"

"We should all get some sleep," I say. We all stack fists except for Ari and Total.

_Wait a second._

"Angel? Where's Total?" She looks around in confusion.

"Come to think of it, he seemed to have disappeared when you fell," she says.

"Total?" I call.

"Total!" Angel yells. "Where are you?"

"Maybe he went to pee," Iggy says.

"No one, not even Total, pees for that long. He's missing. Max, what do we do?"

"We should wait until morning to go looking for him. We don't want to waste time and possibly attract Erasers over something like this until we know he's not just running around," I say. She nods and climbs into the tree Iggy picked out.

"I'll sleep on the ground," Ari says.

"You can sleep in the tree, if you want," I say.

"No, its okay."

I didn't want him down here alone. Sure he was a big Eraser himself, but he still was only eight. He was still a kid. We all were, technically.

"I'll sleep down here too then," I say. He nods and I get out mine and Iggy's sleeping bag. I lay them out and we settle into them.

"Max?" I hear. It sounds like its coming from a little boy. A very little, scared boy. I look around. "Max, do you think Jeb will ever be proud of me like he is you?" says the small little voice again. I realize its Ari.

"Jeb is is crazy, Ari. I don't want him being proud of me," I say.

_You did before._

_That was a long time ago when I thought he was dead and wasn't a cheating liar who still worked for the school._

The Voice doesn't say anything else. "Why would you want someone like Jeb to be proud of you?"

"Doesn't everyone want their dad to be proud of them?" he asks. "Well, except you, I guess, cause he's your dad too."

I nod. "Ari, he may be our biological father, but a dad is someone who takes care of you, raises you, plays with you. And doesn't leave you in an evil lab to get experimented on, or in the mountains with a bunch of kids to take care of. That is not what a dad does, Ari. He will never be our father, in my opinion."

_Max, he did take care of you._

_Yeah, after he let us live in dog crates and before he left us then sent evil Erasers after us._

I hear a soft snore and see that Ari's fallen asleep.

"Good night."


	12. Chapter 12

_Crunch._

I wake up and see an Eraser standing over me. I jump up and kick him in the stomach, and he falls to the ground, wheezing.

"Oh my gosh, Ari, I'm sorry!" I say.

_Oops._

"It's okay," he says, catching his breath.

"What's going on?" Iggy says, jumping out of the tree. Nudge snores loud.

"Total.." Angel mumbles in her sleep. "Total, where are you?"

I decide now would be a good time to call roll.

"Okay- roll. F- uh...Iggy?"

"Figgy's here," Iggy says.

"Iggy, I'm rolling my eyes," I inform him. He shrugs and starts digging in his pack.

"Nudge?"

"Here!" she chimes.

"Gazzy?" I ask.

Angel looks around.

"Gazzy?" she calls.

_Oh no, how many are missing now?_

"Gazzy!" I yell. "Angel?"

"Here," she whimpers.

"Total is still missing?" I ask.

"Yeah," she says and sniffles loudly.

"We need to get moving again," I say. "Or we'll never find Fang."

"What about Gazzy and Total!" she yells. "Were going to leave them?"

"The mission..."

"Screw the mission Max! I know you like Fang more than them, but we can't just leave them!"

"Angel, if they're missing, then that means they're at the school. And that's where were going."

"I'm staying," she says firmly.

"No. You're not. Were leaving now. Get your stuff and lets go. Don't make me drag you," I say, even more firmly.

"Fine. Whatever. Let's just forget about Total and Gazzy, and go save Fang because Max the leader loves him most."

"Oh really?" says a voice from behind me.

I spin around, fast, and freeze. I just stand there, staring at him.

"Fang!" Nudge screams and starts to run over to him.

"Nudge get over here," I say. She stops in her tracks and everyone comes over beside me.

"What? I'm not safe now?" he asks.

I glare at him. He frowns.

"Angel, get in his mind."

"What's going on? Angel, stay out of my mind."

_He's thinking about...you._

_Search his memory. Does he remember what happened after he ran off?_

_No. It's him, Max. It's really him._

I smile really big and run over to him.

"It's really you?" I ask.

"In the living flesh." I hug him and he seems a little embarrassed but hugs me back.


	13. Chapter 13

The rest of the Flock-my Flock, my babies run over and we all hug a giant group hug. I love these guys so much. I don't know what I would do without them. They keep me strong.

"What happened?" Nudge asks. I hand him his pack and we all wait for his story. I figure he won't say much, because he's Fang.

"The school came in the middle of the night and injected me with something. Then they took me." A shiver runs down my spine. I had been touching and kissing a clone. He notices my reaction but doesn't question it.

"Max, I'm sorry," Angel says, because she knows what I'm thinking.

"Sorry?" Fang asks.

"Well, they gave us a clone of you and Max...associated with him," she explains. He arches his brow at me.

"We need to find Gazzy and Total," I say.

"Where are they?" asks Fang.

"We don't know. We figure at the School."

"What, they just disappeared?" he asks.

"Pretty much," says Angel.

Fang's eyes widen a little bit as he notices Ari.

"Wha..."

"Long story. We better get going if we want to save Gazzy and Total," I say.

"Why are we walking?" Fang asks.

"Max broke her wing," Angel said. He looks over at me.

"Also a long story," I say, as we walk through the woods.

"Max got lost in her thoughts about you and fell out of the sky," says Angel. I blush and look away.

"That's what she was thinking about? That's priceless!" Iggy exclaims. Fang looks as awkward as I feel.

_Thanks, Angel._

_Sorry._

"Can we go get something to eat?" Nudge asks after a while of hoofing it through the great outdoors.

"Sure, Nudge. I'm sure right through those trees, there's a McDonald's just waiting for us. And through those trees over there- whatta you know? Taco Bell," says Iggy, with an irritated expression.

"Sorry. I'm just really hungry and we've been walking a lot and I want some food and-" She stops at seeing the look on my face. "Sorry," she repeats and looks down.

"Max, how's your wing? Is it feeling any better?" Angel wanted to fly almost as bad as I did.

"You know what guys? You should go on and fly ahead. I'll catch up with you. Find a place to eat and rest. I don't want to hold you back," I say.

"You sure?" Iggy asks.

"Yeah, I'll be fine." Without another word, Angel, Iggy, and Nudge shoot into the air. I watch them go, then turn my attention on Fang. "You didn't want to go?"

"No, I wanna talk."

_That's a first._

"Are you sure your the Fang I know and occasionally hate?" We both smile. "Hey, where's Ari?" He looks around.

"Maybe he went with the kids?"

"I guess."

_I hope._

"So what did you want to talk about?" I ask nonchalantly as I step over fallen branches.

"I was wondering why you couldn't tell the difference between me and a clone." He was always abrupt like that. No beating around the bush for Fang.

"Well, he was very convincing. But if you must know, his show of emotion set me off," I reply. Fang looks up at me and holds my gaze for a second. We walk for a little while in a quite comfortable silence.

"You still doing that blog-thing?"

He smiles. "Yeah."

"How's that doing?"

"It's good." He looks up at me.

"That's good." I smile.

"Max, I miss you."

"You mean 'missed'? Like, when you were gone?"

"I said what I meant."

_Great, Fang, now things are awkward again._

"Where's Dylan?" he asks.

"Oh, well...Fake-Fang scared him off. He has yet to return." He smiles at the thought.

"It's not funny," I say, and bump into him.

"Yes it is," he says back.

"Okay, maybe a little."

"Glad to see I amuse you," says a voice from behind me.


	14. Chapter 14

I turn around and am face-to-face with Dylan.

_Great._

"Dylan.." I say, unsure. He stands there with a mad expression.

"I see you're enjoying your win," he says, turning to Fang.

"My win?" he asks.

"What, now your playing dumb?"

"Wait, let me get this straight. After forever of trying to get you back, Fake-Fang was the one to win you over?" Fang asks me.

"Well.." I say.

"I'm sorry, did you say 'Fake-Fang'?" Dylan asks.

"Yeah. Whoever you are mad at wasn't me. It was a clone," Fang says. The look on Dylan's face is priceless. He looks dumbfounded. He just looks between the two of us for a while.

"Where did you go?" I finally ask.

"I've actually been at the cave this whole time. Just thinking about things. Thinking about our kiss," he says.

_Thanks, Dylan._

Fang looks at me with irritation. I give him a look that says 'I'm sorry.'

"Well, you can forget about that. I still haven't decided," I say to Dylan.

"How about you catch up with the Flock so I can talk to Max?" Fang asks Dylan, quietly and with restraint.

"I want to talk to Max," Dylan almost whines.

Fang stares at him for a minute. "No," he says bluntly.

"Fine, but Max, I do need to talk to you," Dylan says. I nod and turn away. Dylan takes off in the direction of civilization.

"You...kissed him?" Fang asks accusingly.

"Yes," I say like a mouse.

"Why?"

"I don't know, Fang."

"So are you going to pick?" he asks.

"I'm not ready yet."

"When are you gonna be ready Max?" he asks, raising his voice. "I can't just wait around forever. I thought that if you loved me, then it would be an easy choice." He looks away in frustration.

"I'm sorry," I squeak.

"Sometimes...sometimes that's not good enough," he replies.

"I know. And I really am sorry. Very sorry. I just...it's just...hard." I stop walking and sit down.

"Did you kiss my clone?" he asks, sitting down beside me.

"Yes."

"And...was it.." I turn and look at him and his voice fades off. We stare at each other for a while.

"No," I say and lean into him. Our lips melt together and he doesn't hold back at all. I snake my hands up around his neck and through his hair. His hands rest softly on my hips. He starts to run them up and down my back. I slide my tongue across his bottom lip and he opens his mouth. I stop, gasping for air.

"Fang," I breath.

"Yeah?" he breaths back.

"I love you," I say and return my face to his. We fall over onto the ground. My hands return to his hair and one of his hands rest on the ground, the other cupping my cheek.

"I love you too," he says, then starts to kiss my neck.

"Fang..Fang, I think I choose you. No, I know. I know I choose you," I gasp. He stops and looks at me.

"Because of my great kissing skills?" We both chuckle.

"Yeah, that's why." We sit up and I lean in closely. I give him the softest, most perfect kiss. I linger near his face and he kisses my forehead. We smile.

Fang is the one, I know it. I guess I always knew. He was always there for me, and even when he left, it was to look out for me and the Flock. Protecting the Flock was all I ever wanted. But now, sitting here with Fang, I know I want him too. I want him more than anything. I love him too much to let Dylan get in the way.


	15. Chapter 15

"I'm really hungry," Nudge says.

"I know. Dr. Martinez gave us some money to eat with. Where do you wanna go?" I ask.

After me and Fang thought we had wasted enough time, we caught up with what was left of the Flock.

"There?" Dylan asks, pointing to a small cafe'.

"Yeah, that looks fine," I say, avoiding eye contact. We make our way across the street. The cafe' is small and petite. It reminds me of an old Victorian house, but condensed to a little room. It has vines and flowers and plants all over the place. And best of all, they have jumbo-meals.

We sit down and I count heads. Nudge, Angel, Iggy, Fang, Dylan, and me. Six.

"Hi, how may I help you?" says the overly eager waitress. She has a bright blonde pony tail and glowing green eyes. She's wearing a skimpy thing, resembling a waitress outfit. Suddenly, I'm self conscious of my own outfit. Brown shirt, dark green denim jacket, jeans-the loose fit, and regular tennis shoes. The way Fang is looking at the girl just makes things worse.

I'm not one for fashion, but I mean come on? Who doesn't like to feel pretty every once in a while? I glance over and Dylan isn't looking at the waitress, like Fang. He's looking at me.

_Great._

_Max, why fight it? It's obvious you still have feelings for Dylan. And Fang is elsewhere looking at other girls,_ says the Voice.

_I love Fang. And I'm handling this perfectly fine,_ I snap.

_Seems like it to me,_ says the Voice.

"Max? Are you going to order?" Nudge asks.

"Oh, right. Yeah. Uh, we'll have twelve jumbo-meals. Nudge, what kind?"

"I want one the one with shrimp and my other one, the one with a hamburger," she says.

"I want the one with ribs, and the one with macaroni," Iggy says.

"Fang?" I ask, biting my lip.

"Ribs and shrimp."

"Same as Max," Dylan says nonchalantly, looking at a menu. Not fake nonchalance-he was serious. We had almost the same tastes when it came to food. Something to do with the whole 'perfect other half' thing.

"We want the hamburger and ribs," I say, turning to the waitress.

"Are you sure you want this much? The jumbos are really big."

"Were sure."

"Okay," she says, seeming skeptical. I love the way we effect people.

The food arrives and we don't waste time talking. We _eat._


	16. Chapter 16

Since I'm refueled, I decide to make a list of things to worry about and/or do.

_1. Find Gazzy and Total_

_2. Figure out my feelings for Fang and/or Dylan_

_3. Keep the rest of the Flock alive and safe_

Now a list of things that are more immediate:

_1. Find a place to sleep for the night_

_2. Find a way to get some more money_

_3. Find out if the guy following us is an Eraser or just extremely attractive_

"Max. Max, he's still there," Nudge says.

"And I can't read his mind," reports Angel.

"He's an Eraser," says Fang.

"I know," I say back.

"Erasers like from the school?" Dylan asks. "Why?"

"Good thing you're a fast learner. Fight or flight guys?" I ask.

"I vote flight. We're all exhausted from walking and no sleep," Nudge states.

"Angel?"

"I say we fight. There's only one and maybe if we-" she's cut of by the sound of Gazzy's screams.

"Gazzy?" I yell, and turn around. The Eraser is fully morphed, fangs out.

"Max! Help me!" he bellows.

The Eraser has his arm held behind his back and is pushing it.

"No you don't," I say and take a few steps, do a double-take to make sure the Flock is getting ready, and then punch him square in the face.

_Snap._

Tears fill Gazzy's eyes as he looks up at me. I uppercut the Eraser in the jaw and grab Gaz by his good arm.

We walk over to a bench and sit down to calm down.

"Gazzy!" Angel and Nudge scream at the same time. They run over and hug him, dodging his bad arm.

"Hey, man," Iggy says, punching him on the good arm.

He dries his tears and looks at me with utter disgust.

"What's going on?" I ask.

"Max...the School. There doing so much more than we thought. Max...I..." He looks up. "Max they want us all. Badly. And they have a plan going on. This might be hard to hear but there's someone who's working with them. And they got me, Max." He hugs all of us together and we don't argue.

"Gazzy who's working with them? What do you mean they got you?" I ask.

"I love you guys. Don't forget me, okay?"

"Gazzy, are you crazy? What are you talking about?" At the same time, his eyes bulged, rolled into the back of his head, he made a choking noise, and passed out.

"Gazzy?!" I hold his small nine-year-old body in my arms. "Gazzy, wake up," I say. Fang takes his arm.

He looks down. "No pulse," he says very quietly.

For the first time ever, I saw Fang cry.


	17. Chapter 17

**Wow, already chapter 17. Just wanted to inform you that I'm gonna try to upload a new chapter every Friday. No promises, though. Sorry to interrupt your reading. Continue on. Enjoy. Oh, and review. (if anyone wants any shout outs or anything just tell me)**

_Do you see, Maximum? Do you see what fighting has done?_ says the Voice.

_Screw you, Voice! Gazzy's dead and it's the School's fault! Don't you ever think you know about my love for the Flock! Screw you!_

_Maximum, things happen. At least you have Dylan there. He cares._

_What does Dylan have to do with this?_

_He's your perfect other half._

The already sick feeling in my stomach gets even worse. My perfect other half. The Voice is someone working for the School.

"Fang," I hiss. "I need to talk to you." The few tears that fell, he wipes away. We walk over to behind the cafe'.

"What?" he says darkly.

"The Voice.." I start, when I'm interrupted.

_Don't you dare, Maximum. I can show you pain you've never imagined._

I open my mouth to talk.

"I- never mind."

"What is it?"

"It's nothing. Just..never mind," I say, dismissing the topic. He grabs my shoulders.

"Tell me," he says fiercely.

_Don't._

"It wasn't important. Really," I say. He looks confused, but drops it.

"Okay. Fine. For now."

"Flock," I call.

_Or at least what's left of it._

"What?" Iggy asks.

"Come on, we're gonna find a motel or something," I say, walking down the street. For once, Nudge is silent.

"Hi, are you waiting for your parents?" asks the lady at the front desk of a motel.

"No, it will be just us today," I reply blankly with a sense of repetition.

"You kids look like you've been through a lot. I'll give ya a discount."

"Thanks," I mutter. I turn around to see what she means. Nudge's hair is frizzed out really bad, Angel's hair is full of dirt, knots, and tangles. Iggy mirrors my image- depression. And Fang is looking as dark as ever. Dylan even looks disgruntled.

"You have a nice night," she says.

"You too," I say. I take the key from her and walk towards the elevator. There's not enough room for all six of us, so me, Dylan, and Fang get in the elevator. Why? Because fate hates me.

We sit there in silence. There's so much tension but I'm too tired to take any notice. "Max, are you okay?" Dylan asks, because he doesn't know when to shut up. Fang just keeps staring at the same place on the floor.

"Yeah," I choke out, too exhausted to reply with sarcasm. _What do you think?_

"You don't look like you're okay," he says and starts to move towards me. In a flash, Fang is on top of Dylan, pinning him to the wall.

"Learn to keep your mouth shut," he whispers so silently, that even I, with my bird-like hearing, cannot hear, yet its still said with enough force to shake me.

"Get off," Dylan says, pushing slightly on Fangs shoulders.

_Oh God._


	18. Chapter 18

Fang rears back and lands a good punch to Dylan's face. Dylan may be strong, but so is Fang and he has a lot of anger behind him too. Fang plus anger equals a whole lot of butt-kick.

I rub my temples. "Guys, stop it. Please."

Fang looks over at me and lets go of Dylan. He gives him another look before coming back over to me. He scratches that spot on my wings. I start to feel better. I lean into his warm body and he holds me. I know Dylan is there but I'm too exhausted to do anything. I just let Fang hold me. I snuggle into his chest and he wraps his arms around me. I can feel the tension in his body from Dylan's presence. As I rest there, my mind drifts to Gazzy, and I start to cry. At first, it's silent tears, but then I start to sob. Fang just holds me and strokes my hair. He kisses my forehead.

The Elevator dings, and when I start to lean out of Fang, he picks me up and carries me like a baby into our room. I don't protest. He lays me on the bed and then gets in next to me. The room is pretty big- two beds, a couch, and a recliner.

There are six of us. Six. It has always been six. But this time, it isn't the original six. It makes my heart ache.

Angel and Nudge get in the other bed, Dylan gets on the couch, and Iggy in the recliner. I sigh.

Fang holds me to his chest and that's how I fall asleep.

* * *  
I wake up to the heavenly smell of bacon. "Mmm."

"You mutant-freaks hungry?" asks Iggy from the kitchen.

"Woah!" Angel exclaims, "Why is there so much bacon?"

We all look between each other and Nudge bursts into tears and runs to the bathroom. Mine, Iggy's, Angel's, and Fang's eyes all water. Dylan puts his hand on my shoulder. I turn around and hug him.

"Thank you," I whisper to him. Then I sit down at the table.

"So? Bacon," I say with an awkward grin, trying to lighten things up.

"I'm not hungry," Angel says, staring out the window. Never in my fifteen years had I heard a bird-kid say they weren't hungry.

"Come on Angel, just eat a little. You'll need it for fuel," I say and smile at her.

"Fuel for what? Gazzy's gone!" she yells, and tears run down her face.

"Total..." I say in a sad voice. She sniffs. She turns back to the window.

"When are we leaving?"

"Whenever we're ready, Sweetie. Come over here and eat," I say. She walks over to me and collapses into a hug.

"I miss him, Max," she sobs.

"I know you do. We all miss him. It's gonna be okay," I reassure her.

"Promise?" She looks up at me and I see the innocent little baby girl she used to be. Her big blue eyes bore into mine.

I know she can read my mind, but I say it anyway. "Promise." There's truth somewhere in that word. She knows I will do anything to make that true.


	19. Chapter 19

"Okay, guys. We've spent enough time here. We need to get moving if we're going to find Total."

"Max, you never really liked Total. Why are you so set on finding him now?" Angel asks.

"He's part of the Flock now. And I'm hoping to kick a few white-coat butts on the way."

"We haven't done that in a while," she says, smiling.

"I know. I can't wait."

"Where do you think Ari went?" Nudge asks.

"I have no idea. Did anyone see Ari leave?" I ask.

"He disappeared when me and Max were in the woods. We thought that he went with you guys," Fang says.

"No. He wasn't with us," Iggy says.

"Maybe he had to use the bathroom or something, I don't know, and then he, like, got lost or something, or we all were gone when he got back, and so he decided to try to find his own way, or something, and maybe now he's looking for us, or something," Nudge says.

"Maybe," I say.

"Well, let's get going," Iggy says. "I want to find Total and go home." Everyone nods in agreement. Angel, Nudge, Iggy, and Fang jump out the window and take off.

"You've been pretty quiet lately," I say to Dylan.

"Yeah. I've been trying to sort through some things," he says in a sad voice, looking at the ground.

"Like what?"

"It's hard to explain," he says. He is almost always completely open with his thoughts. This worries me.

"Try," I say.

"Max, I know I'm programmed to love you, so I do. But I don't want to. Like, I want to love you the way you love the Flock and everything. Like family. But it's obvious you've picked Fang. And I want to try to get over it. But I can't. The programming doesn't care what I think. It just keeps telling me to love you this way. Even though I don't want to," he says. He doesn't look me in the eyes.

"Hey, it's okay," I say. I didn't want him to start crying.

"But it's not. You don't understand how much it hurts. I'm not jealous or anything. I'm forced to love you. You could never understand what that's like," he says, then jumps out the window before I can say something more.

Poor Dylan. He doesn't get to choose who he wants to love. What is he supposed to do? I feel bad for Dylan, but I need to get going. Pitying him isn't going to help.

I stretch my sore wings and let myself fall out of the window.

"Max, I think we're lost!" Nudge yells over the roar of the wind.

"We're not lost!" I yell back. "I know exactly where we're going!"

_Max, maybe we can start over. I want to help you. But you have to listen to me. _

_No way. You lost my trust. _

_Max, you have to do what I say! You won't get anywhere without me. _

_You're working for the School!_

_Think of all the times I helped you, Max. Remember? I helped you in New York. _

_That doesn't matter! It was all just part of some big plan to capture me again! _

_Max, I do work for the School. But I'm a good one. _

_Yeah, like Jeb?_

The Voice leaves me alone. I know it was a mean thing to say, but it was true. The Voice is working for the School, which means it wants to do experiments on me. It wants to hurt me and my Flock. I won't let that happen.

It does seem different, though. For one, it called me Max instead of Maximum. It sounds desperate for me to believe it. But most of all, it sounds caring and...familiar. Is it Jeb? Who else could it be? Only he can sound like that and work for the School at the same time. Only he can sound genuine and want to cut me open.

The Voice is Jeb.

That thought bounces around in my head. Jeb. It's _Jeb_. Why am I so surprised? I thought it was Jeb from the moment it entered my head. But now that I know...it's different. He raised me. He loved me. Or at least I thought he did. I wanted to make him so proud. Suddenly, I know exactly how Ari feels. He still loves Jeb and wants to be a part of his life. No matter how much I love Ari, I can't trust him anymore. Not if he still trusts Jeb.

But where is Ari?

_I know where Ari is, Max. _

_Jeb! Get out of my head!_

_Like I said before, I'm not Jeb. But I do know where Ari is. _

_You are Jeb! I know it! You can quit pretending. _

_But, Max..._

_Leave me alone!_

_Do you want to find Total or not?_ the Voice asks, raising its, well, voice.

_Of course I do! But not with your help. I don't trust you. _

_Max, you have to listen to me if you want to find Total alive._

That word echoes through my head. Alive. As in, not dead. I was hoping death wasn't an option. This is supposed to be an easy rescue mission, not a fight for survival. We've all matured. We're smarter and stronger than before. So why is it so complicated? Why can't we just get Total and leave?

_Max, you're all in great danger. The Gasman was right. The School wants all of you. Now. And they're not playing around anymore._

The sound of Gazzy's name stings. I miss him so much. What does it mean, 'They're not playing around anymore'? Do they have new technology? New Erasers? The ones we fought earlier were a little better than the original, but not anything we couldn't handle. So what is it? What do they have?

_New avian-hybrids_, says the Voice.


	20. Chapter 20

**Just wanted to give a shout-out to a new friend I made. Hey, faxMRpercabethPJ! Thanks for chatting with me about Maximum Ride. Oh, and, like always, the series and characters(unless new ones arrive *hint* *hint*) all belong to the big man himself, James Patterson! Can we get an applause for this astounding fellow? Thanks JP for writing my favorite books, and if you're reading this, I hope you like it, and it's an honor. Anyways, review! Oh and I found a hilarious parody video for the book "Fang". Here's the link: /L4_a0qzUgqw Watch it or don't, but I recommend you do. Anyways- on with the story! Love you Ev :P**

I stop short in the air. I start to plummet.

_I've got to stop falling out of the sky_.

I bet no one else says that to themselves. Well, I guess other than sky-divers. And broken planes. And dead birds.

That scares me.

I feel strong arms wrap around me and look up, expecting to see Fang.

"Hey there, Gorgeous!" Iggy laughs in my face.

"Shut-up!" I say, and push him away, a slight smile creeping up on my lips. I look up at Fang. He's doing his 'half-smile'.

Fang's smile reminds me of the good old days. The days when we didn't have to worry, and it was just us. Even when we were running from Erasers, I felt safe and comfortable. It was always just us, and we didn't trust anyone else.

Not that I don't like trusting new people. I love my mom and Ella, and I trust Dylan. It's just not the same as it used to be.

"What happened now, Max? More Fang day-dreaming?" Iggy asks.

"Shut-up!" I screech, and push him backwards. He falters a little bit, but manages to stay airborne. Better than what I was doing at the moment.

"Wait, so were you Fang-thinking?" Angel asks, faking innocence.

"No. Not that it's any of your business. I happened to have just got an important message."

"The Voice is back?" asks Angel.

"Uh, yeah."

"So you still trust it?" Fang says.

"Yes," I try to say with confidence, but my voice wavers. Three bird-kids give me skeptical looks. Wait, three? "Where's Dylan!" I exclaim in an over-emotional panic.

"Uh, over here, Max?" Dylan says from a ways behind me. He gives me a weird look, along with everyone else. _God, Max, quit messing up_, I say in my head.

There's a long, awkward pause.

"Message?" Iggy asks.

"Oh, yeah, right. What the School has is-"

"Erasers!" Angel screeches.

"We already knew they had those, Angel," Iggy says. Fang slaps the back of his head.

"They're chasing someone," Fang says, squinting.

"They're chasing two someones," Nudge says.

The two figures fly away from the Erasers differently. The bigger one is more awkward and fights at the Erasers sloppily. The much smaller one is light in the air, practically dancing, pushing off of Erasers, knocking them out of the air.

His familiar blonde head turns and he smiles at me. My heart skips a beat and I almost fall out of the sky again.

"Gazzy!" Angel screeches. He flies towards us and I almost start crying.

"Did ya miss me?"

"Hell yeah!" Iggy yells. We all fly over to him and hug each other. Nudge starts crying.

"Did you miss _me_?" Ari says.

"Hell yeah," I say and smile at him.


End file.
